Motion Engineering plays a critical role in helping industries resolve issues with their machinery. Motion’s Key Account Executive for CBC Malaga, Sinisa Petkovic, highlights how Motion Engineering helped resolve an issue with the digester at an organic recycling plant in WA, saving the business a substantial amount of money.
According to Sinisa, “this was a fairly new plant. They hadn’t even been opened for 12 months until they started experiencing issues with the digester.” He continued, “a digester is a machine that breaks down organic waste materials using microorganisms, which release a gas that can be used for energy. The solid material left over can be used as fertiliser,” says Sinisa. The recycling plant had 16 bearings in total relating to the digester, which would have needed replacement every 12-18 months, costing the business a lot of money.
The Motion Engineering team investigated the issue and discovered that the bearings were undersized, and incorrect lubrication was being used. Undersized bearings can have a significant impact on machinery, leading to reduced performance.
Incorrect lubrication is also problematic, which the plant was using in this case. Sinisa stated “oil is the best lubrication for bearings. Grease is probably not the right choice in this application.” Grease can break down at high temperatures, reducing its effectiveness as a lubricant and significantly reduce the bearing life.
Sinisa highlighted “the first thing we did was worked out the correct bearings they were going to need, designed the housing seals to accommodate oil lubrication and selected appropriate lubrication that is designed specifically for high loads.” He continued, “housing seals play an important role in machinery by helping to contain oil lubricants and prevent them from leaking out. We also introduced breathers to the housings to assist with moisture level,” stated Sinisa.
Following this, Motion Engineering introduced condition monitoring to conduct 24/7 shock pulse monitoring of the 16 bearings. At any point, if there were issues with the bearings, the team was notified. Moreover, Motion Engineering also introduced single point lubricators to the seals, which ensured that there was constant grease applied. Sight glass was installed for monitoring oil levels, and it assisted in oil samples when they were taken.
“We also introduced oil analyses every 6 months, with samples collected and sent for inspection produced,” said Sinisa. This ensured the business received end-to-end support from Motion. According to Sinisa, the support they received culminated in a substantial cost saving for the customer.
Furthermore, Sinisa confidently highlighted “if the plant didn’t go into care and maintenance eventually due to unforeseen circumstances, I’m confident that the bearings would still be going strong as there was no indication that there was any damage/fatigue with the machine parts.”
Motion Engineers play a critical role in ensuring that industries’ machinery is functioning optimally. The support they offer can mean the difference between businesses succeeding or failing. The expertise and insights that they bring to the table are invaluable, and they help businesses save money in the long run by introducing improvements that are sustainable and long-lasting. Businesses can benefit from the Motion Engineering Teams’ expertise and insights.
